SeeAbility Ditton Road, Surbiton

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SeeAbility Ditton Road, Surbiton SeeAbility is
planning to establish a new Supported Living
Service for five young people with profound and
multiple disabilities and visual impairment who
are leaving home and college in the summer of
2009. We have purchased a large dormer bungalow
in Surbiton which will become home for these five
people. It has four downstairs bedrooms, all with
en suite facilities, and one upstairs bedroom,
again with en suite facilities. A large kitchen
and two common rooms downstairs, as well as a
garden and external garage. Each of the five
people will have a licence to occupy the house
and share the common facilities. It will be their
own home and as far as possible, they want to run
their own lives. They currently lead very active
lives and are supported to take part in swimming,
companion cycling, bowling, ice-skating, walking,
going to the cinema and theatre, eating out,
going to the pub and all sorts of other social
activities. Most of them love music and they can
use public transport with support. They also want
to get involved with running their home and
engage in shopping, cooking and housework as far
as they are able. We are recruiting a team of
people to support them to achieve a transition to
their new home and to continue to lead as rich
and fulfilling lives as possible. We are working
closely with their families to achieve this and
family members will remain a very important part
of their lives. They have been involved in every
aspect of decision-making, including the
recruitment of staff and will be frequent
visitors to their sons and daughters new
home. We plan to provide some core services to
all of the people. This will include waking night
support and the overall co-ordination of the
service and some aspects of personal care. We
will also provide a more flexible element which
will be provided on a one-to-one basis by a team
of support workers who will work flexible hours,
both full and part time. There will be a manager
for the service and two senior support workers.
These three members of staff will work a shift
rota and one of them will be present in the
service at most times. They will all be expected
to share in direct support tasks as well as carry
out supervision of support staff and be
responsible for the overall co-ordination and
management of the service. We are also planning
to provide a waking night service and possibly,
depending on the needs and requirements of the
people who live there, an additional sleep-in
service. In summary, the staff team will
support the five people in all aspects of their
lives, helping them to take part in the local
community as well as running their home. Tasks
will include supporting people with personal care
as well as social, domestic and leisure
activities.